Two lawyers, Kolawole Esan and Yomi Ogunlola, as well as a scholar, Prof Labode Popoola, have criticised calls for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for the Office of the President in 2027.
While the two lawyers weighed in on Jonathan’s eligibility, having taken the oath of office twice, Prof. Popoola spoke on his capacity to sustain the current policies.
They spoke with The Guardian in Ibadan.
Esan and Ogunlola said the former president is ineligible to contest again.
Esan hinged his argument on Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Esan said: “Section 137 was amended in 2017 by the Fourth Alteration No 16 of 2017 as follows: (3) A person who was sworn in as president to complete the term for which another person was elected as president shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term”.
Ogunlola said: “Nigeria is a land where the impossible can be possible! Ordinarily, he is, in my opinion, ineligible! But, it is what it is”.
In his submission, a former Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Labode Popoola, faulted those calling on Jonathan to contest.
The professor inferred that the former president’s administration was not remarkable.
He said: “And by the way, two policies have created ‘tension’ in the economy: removal of subsidy of fuel, and liberalisation of the foreign exchange regime. Both have been a source of fraud over the years, and mortgaging our future in the medium to long term. So, both cancers had to be removed.
“Now, those who think Jonathan or any of the power hustlers should be preferred in 2027 should be asked a very sincere question: Will those two policies be reversed by the power hustlers? Of course, they dare not.”
However, a Law Professor and Vice Chancellor of an African University, Olu Oyedokun, said: “The law refers to tenure rather than swearing in as the limitation on the office of the President. And tenure relates to elections; the key is how many times he has won elections. It will seem once; if so, he is expected to be allowed to contest again under the original 1999 Constitution.”
